Twisted
by Girthepoptart
Summary: Bowser hires an apprentice and has ordered her to kill the Marios. She's the dark princess, but finds it difficult to live up to her name. This story's done, though the ending is a bit...open.
1. Le first chapter

The door slammed behind her as she exited Bowser's castle. Bowser hadn't been up to any evil for years…

That was, until he found Kira, the dark princess who had been overthrown by her own people. She was only 20 years old. He had promised her a temporary home, and in return, she would be his apprentice and do his dirty work. And now, she had been given her most diabolical task yet.

_Destroy the Mario brothers, leave no traces behind. Then bring the princess._

Something that Bowser himself could never do…

Despite the fact that she was the dark princess and she had been doing evil deeds her whole life, she knew that deep down, there was indeed some good in her. But at the same time, she loved creating destruction because she appeared totally innocent. No matter what she had ever done, no one would suspect her.

Kira had short black hair. She had changed from her dark blue, gloomy dress into an aquamarine tie-dye dress only moments ago. She wore a bubbly little crown and a heart-shaped locket around her neck. Inside, it said "Cherry", the fake name that she often used to avoid suspicion.

She gazed upon the Mario house. That was it; No doubt. Even in pitch dark, she could tell.

The dark princess had a reputation of killing people and causing destruction, so Kira first had to earn trust.

She wrapped gauze around her arm, ripped her gloves and dress a little, and knocked quietly at the door.

"Yes?" Answered Luigi, who appeared tall as opposed to such a petite woman, although she was just a little chubby (Little known fact, Kira LOVES sweets).

"H-hello…" Kira said, holding her stomach as if she had been beat up. "I was just wondering if I could use your phone. You see, I'm lost and I…I can't seem to remember what happened."

"S-sure…" Luigi said reluctantly with a small nod.

"Thank you." Kira said, walking into the living room and picking up the phone. She slowly dialed about two numbers before she looked up at Luigi.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"I…can't seem to remember daddy's phone number" she coughed. She put her face into her hands and forced out tears, which she was good at. "Now what'll I do?"

Mario slowly walked downstairs, rubbing his eyes.

"What's going on?" he asked. "It's 2AM!"

"I-I'm so sorry to bother you guys so late…" she sighed, knowing that she was already making progress. "You see…well I remember…"

"You must have really gone through something." Mario said, walking into the kitchen and making himself a cup of coffee.

"All I remember is that some guys attacked me…" Kira said. "And they took the last of my coins…"

"Wait…" Mario said, looking at her crown. "You're not from around here…You're a princess, aren't you?"

"Yeah." Kira replied. "I'm from a kingdom very far from here."

"What's your name?" Luigi asked.

"I'm Cherry." Kira said, running her fingers through her hair a bit. "And you are…?"

"You mean…you don't know who we are?" Mario questioned.

"Nope." she lied. "Are you famous or something?"

"Yeah." Luigi said. "I'm Luigi and that's my brother, Mario."

"Alright…" Kira yawned, rolling into a little ball on the floor and falling asleep. Mario and Luigi exchanged looks.

"Mario…" Luigi said. "I have a strange feeling about this…"

"What do you mean?" Mario yawned.

"Doesn't it seem like she was a bit…too nice?" Luigi asked.

"Did you expect her to be rude?" Mario asked. "Just chill out, Luigi; you're so paranoid sometimes."

The next morning, Kira woke up at around 5am. She walked into the kitchen and began to bake muffins.

She couldn't go a day without making some type of sweet treat. She loved sweets, and she was really good at making them.

"I hope you like them." Kira said, sliding the muffins across the table to Mario and Luigi once they were ready. The smell had woken Mario and Luigi up, and Kira knew that there was not a single person in the world who didn't enjoy her chocolate chip muffins.

Nothing made muffins taste better than dark magic did.

"So…" Mario said. "You enjoy making addictive food?"

"Yup." Kira smiled. "It's my hobby."

She could now check off "gain trust" from her to-do list.

"So, Cherry…" Luigi said. "What kingdom are you from anyway?"

Kira's eye twitched. Was he testing her?

"The Magnolia Kingdom…" she said unsurely. "If I can remember correctly after yesterday…"

She knew Luigi kind of saw through her generosity…and muffins…

"And where's that?" Luigi asked.

"I…" Kira held her head. "I can't remember…"

"And what's a princess doing alone at night in a kingdom like this?" Luigi questioned.

"I remember having a really good motive…" Kira said. Luigi finally gave in and began to believe her. "I just can't…remember what it was…"

"Luigi, leave her alone." Mario said, elbowing him a bit. "She's clearly not in the mood."

"No, it's okay." Kira assured him, though it really annoyed her. "I don't mind."

"Sorry." Luigi said. "I'm just not…used to this."

"It's alright…" Kira said. "I guess I could leave if I'm being a burden…I mean, it is kind of rude to stay at someone's house without proper permission."

"It's fine." Mario said. "We don't really mind."

"Thank you." Kira said. She glared at Luigi. She knew who she was going to kill first.

That's when someone knocked at the door. Mario opened it.

"Oh hi, Princess!" Mario greeted.

"Hi, Mario." Peach smiled. "May I come in?"

"Sure." Mario said, letting her in. "So what brings you here?"

"Well, it's not every day that I have the time to visit my two favorite plumbers." Peach said with a grin, and then looked at Kira. "Hi there. What's your name?"

"I'm Cherry." she said. "So you're the princess of this kingdom?"

"Yes, that's me." Peach said. "Where are you from?"

"A place very far from here." Kira said.

The princess was right there, but she couldn't capture her until the Mario brothers were dead.

"Oh." Peach said. "Welcome to the Mushroom Kingdom."

She didn't want to admit it, but Peach was also unsure about Kira.

"Thank you, Princess." Kira said with a smile.

"Call me Peach." Peach said.

"Alright, Peach." Kira nodded.

"So…" Mario sighed, turning to Peach. "Have you seen Bowser lately?"

"No…" Peach said. "Maybe he's finally given up. It's almost been three years…"

"But you never know…maybe he's just waiting for the right time." Luigi said.

Peach opened her small purse and checked the time on her phone.

"Oh, I'm sorry; I have to go now…" Peach said, heading towards the door. "Goodbye!"

They said goodbye to her and in seconds, she was gone.

Kira walked into the bathroom to do her hair. It was kind of a mess...

Just like the rest of her life.

**Review please!**


	2. Le second chapter

By the next couple of days, Kira had her whole plan thought out.

…Sort of…

She knew there were holes in it, but it was a start.

Kira was sitting on the couch when she heard her phone vibrate from her purse. She took it out and found a message from Bowser asking what was taking her so long.

Truth is, after she got to know them, Kira didn't really want to kill the Mario brothers. They were so generous, but she had no choice.

She was going to have to kill them that day. Then it would all be over.

She had a sinister grin on her face. She knew how she would kill them. She wasn't going to stab them; she didn't want it to be so obvious. She wanted to make it look like an accident. That's what she was really good at.

Kira walked into the kitchen. She had already decided what she was going to do…

Death…by cupcakes.

Why cupcakes, you may ask? Because poison can be hidden easily in cupcakes.

She mixed enough poison chemicals and ingredients that could stop someone's heart in less than an hour. She used pure poison, along with a few poison mushrooms and mistletoe for good measure. No one would know. No one would tell.

She really didn't want to do this…

She walked into the living room with her cupcakes.

"Who wants cupcakes?" She sang happily.

Luigi took one, but Kira noticed that Mario wasn't in the room.

"Mario went to the store." Luigi said, taking a bite out of his cupcake, which tasted a little bit better than usual.

"Oh, alright…" Kira said. This could mess up the plan. She headed towards the door. "I'm going to take a walk. I'll be back in twenty minutes."

Luigi nodded and Kira walked outside. She sat atop a floating block nearly a mile from the house and became lost in thought.

She hated killing people, yet she loved every moment of it. It was really hard to explain.

About fifteen minutes later, she felt her phone vibrate. She looked at it and found a message from Mario. She had given him her number in case of emergency only a day ago.

_"Where are you, Cherry? Hurry back to the house, it's important."_

She began to walk towards the house when she received another message, but this one was from Bowser.

_"Come to the castle. I need to have a word with you."_

Kira sighed and walked to the castle. She opened the gate, went inside, and Found Bowser.

"You wanted to see me?" She asked, looking at Bowser.

"Yeah." Bowser said. "Now, can you please tell me why the princess isn't in my castle right now?"

"Because…I didn't capture her yet?" Kira asked, twiddling her thumbs.

"And why is that?" Bowser asked. "You've been gone for three days, the Mario brothers are still alive, and I've already made wedding plans for the princess and me."

"Well, I'm working on it." she said. "They'll be dead by the end of today…"

"Great." Bowser said. "And do you know what will happen if they're not?"

"W-what?" Kira stuttered, curious to know what Bowser had planned for her.

"I'll take you right back to your kingdom where I found you begging for work from every person who walked by." Bowser said. "No wonder even your parents hated you! You can't listen to simple directions."

Kira folded her arms.

"I told you I was working on it!" she exclaimed. "Why don't YOU do it then?"

"Because…" Bowser said. "I believe I appointed you with that job, Kira."

Kira sighed.

"Alright." She said simply, exiting the castle. She rushed back to the house to see if she had made any progress yet.

Before she could knock on the door, she found a note…

_Had to rush Luigi to ICU. There's spaghetti in the fridge, but I'd rather you meet me at the hospital._

_ -Mario_

Now what?

The sun was beginning to set. She was sure Luigi would die in the ICU, but in intensive care, it would take about a week. Kira had predicted that Luigi was in a deep coma, and she had to find a way to get Mario as well. Her fate depended on it.

The sooner she got to the hospital, the sooner she would find the opportunity to kill that stupid plumber.

**Reviews make me happy FYI :D**


	3. Le third chapter

Kira walked to the local hospital and found Mario dozing off in the waiting room. She sat next to him.

"Heya, Mario…" she said.

"Hey, Cherry…" he said quietly.

"What happened?" Kira asked. "I got your note."

"Well, I came home and Luigi had passed out." Mario said. "Do you know what happened?"

"No, I have no idea." Kira sighed. "I wasn't there at the time."

"Well, that's funny…" Mario said. "Well, do you know why THIS was in the kitchen?"

He pulled out a poisonous mushroom. Kira must have left it there by accident.

"Uh…" Kira looked around.

"Cherry, are you hiding something from me?" Mario asked.

"N-no!" Kira insisted. "I don't own any poisonous mushrooms."

Now how would she kill Mario now when he was already finding out what she was up to?

Mario stood up and Pinned Kira violently against the wall.

"What…the hell did you do to my little brother?" he asked.

"N-nothing! Nothing at all!" Kira said nervously.

"I just want to know what made you want to poison him. Are you just some sick freak that likes to kill people? Or is it something more?" Mario asked. "Were you planning on poisoning me too? Huh?"

The more Kira tried to pry his arms off of her neck, the tighter his grip became.

"I…I can't tell you anything, Mario…" she said. "I'm very…truly sorry…"

"Oh, I'll make you sorry." Mario said, slapping her across the face. "Is there an antidote?"

"I told you…I can't-"

"IF LUIGI DIES, I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND MAKE SURE YOU DIE A SLOW, GORY, AND EXCRUCIATINGLY PAINFUL DEATH!" he exclaimed, strangling her just a bit tighter. "Now…is there or is there not an antidote?"

"Y-yes…" Kira choked out. "Yes…there is an antidote…"

"Do you know where to find it?" he asked.

"N-no…" she said.

He slapped her again.

"Don't lie to me!"

"Well…" Kira said as he slowly released his grip. "I kind of…know where to find it."

She extended her hand and magically produced a map of an area that was very unfamiliar to Mario.

"Now…" Mario said, looking at the map with one hand, still holding Kira down with the other. "What is the antidote exactly?"

"What you're looking for is a pure magical essence, the purest of the pure. It only grows deep in this forest." She said, pointing to a big forest on the map. Then she realized that she had just told Mario how to contradict her plan.

"Great." Mario said. "Because you're coming with me to find it."

"N-No I'm not!" Kira exclaimed, shoving Mario away from her.

"Listen here, princess…" Mario said. "If we can't save my brother, I'll personally kill you. Now, you still haven't told me your motive."

"I can't" Kira said simply. "I'm under oath."

"TELL ME BEFORE I CUT OFF THE OXYGEN TO YOUR BRAIN!" Mario yelled, strangling her yet again.

"B-Bowser…" Kira choked out. "I…I'm only his apprentice."

He let go of her.

"I knew it!" Mario said. He pulled Kira by the arm and headed towards the door. "We have no time to lose!"

"L-let me go…" Kira whined helplessly. "Please!"

"No." Mario said, scrutinizing the map carefully as he pulled Kira's arm. "I don't think I want to do that."

"Why so?" Kira asked.

"I'm not going to let you run off. Even if I have to handcuff us together." He said.

They walked for hours. It seemed that morning would never come.

"Can we please…" Kira huffed with exhaustion. "Make camp…or find food…or a restroom?"

"No, not when my brother could die at any moment…" Mario said sternly, still pulling Kira's arm like he had been doing for hours. "I will not rest until we've found what we've come here for."

They entered the forest and it began to rain. The map immediately became soggy and fell apart.

"Nice going, Mario." Kira said, rolling her eyes. "We might as well turn around. We can't get there without a map."

"No." Mario said. "You'll have to kill me first- AND DON'T GET ANY IDEAS!"

"Okay…but I really have to tinkle…" Kira said. "I don't think I can wait…"

"Well that's too bad. I'm not stopping until we find it. That's final, Cherry." He said.

"Call me Kira." She sighed.

"OH SO YOU LIED ABOUT-"

"Mario, look!" Kira exclaimed, pointing to a fruit tree. "Food!"

"Can't you make your own food with your magic or something?" Mario asked.

"Nope." Kira said. "My magic is only good for creating destruction…and a few other things."

Kira picked a fruit from the tree and tasted it. She continued walking.

"Hey, the sun's coming up…" Mario said. "How long until the poison kicks in?"

"Hmm…about five or six days." Kira said. "But that's only under intensive care."

"Alright." Mario said. "But since we don't have a map…it could take longer than that."

"Oh, boo-hoo." Kira said. "You're going to lose your brother. If you ask me, that's pretty fortunate."

"What do you mean?" Mario asked. "All I have is a brother!"

"Yeah, but try watching your whole family become brutally massacred…while you're forced to take the throne at 15. Imagine all of the hate you would receive because you're too young to handle a whole civilization…and then your whole life just vanishes…" Kira said, a single tear rolling down her cheek, which she didn't notice. "I guess that would be a bit unfortunate…you know, hypothetically…"

"Oh…I'm sorry…" Mario said.

"Don't be sorry." Kira sighed. "Your sympathy won't help. But it's all in the past, right?"

"I guess so." Mario said.

"I'm so…tired…" Kira complained, lying down on a rock. "Wake me up when you find the thingy…"

"Nope…" Mario said, pulling her by the arm. "We're searching this WHOLE forest if we have to!"

"B-but Mario…" she whined. "You're INSANE!"

"It's only been one night. Now please act like a grown-up and keep going." Mario sighed. Kira's arm had grown weak from being pulled by him

"No." Kira said firmly. "You can't make me. I'm not your servant. You're the reason why I'm going to lose my job."

"And…something else…" Mario said. "You're kind of sitting in poison ivy…"

Kira stood up and began itching all over. Still, Mario grabbed her arm.

"No!" she cried. "I can't go any further!"

"Listen, Princess," Mario persisted. "The sooner we find…the thing…the sooner we can save my brother."

"Do you think I WANT to go against my orders?" Kira questioned. "I could lose my job…or worse."

"Yeah, it's too bad that I don't care." Mario sighed before realizing how lost they were.

**-smirk-**

** I expect reviews, you foolish mortals!**


	4. This chapter shall have a unique name

"Face it, Mario…" Kira whined, pulling her hair back to keep the moisture from her face. "We're lost."

"That's an understatement." He said under his breath. He continued to pull Kira by the arm, and although this annoyed her, she had stopped resisting about an hour ago.

"It'll take years if you really want to search the whole forest." Kira sighed. "Luigi's not going to make it."

"In that case, neither are you. I told you, if he dies, you do too." Mario said.

"W-was that a threat?" Kira questioned. "Because I could really hurt you if I wanted to."

"You're funny." Mario said. "When it comes to fighting, I have a lifetime's worth of experience. You're just a girl."

Kira folded her arms and didn't say another word. They remained like that for hours. Silent.

"Mario…" Kira said, just as the sun was beginning to set. "Can we PLEASE make camp? Just for tonight? I haven't gotten any sleep and I'm hungry. And I can tell I have a fever…"

Mario was tired as well, and he let out a sigh.

"Fine." He said. By then, it had stopped raining, but all they had were the clothes on their backs. "Just until the break of dawn though."

Kira nodded and used some type of telekinetic powers to levitate some sticks, leaves, and etcetera in order to make some tents.

"I'm going to sleep." She sighed tiredly, getting into one of the tents. She was soaking wet, freezing cold, and she didn't have a blanket. She just had to bear with it.

She woke up before Mario, at the break of dawn. That was her chance- she could finally get away from that nut-job! (A/N: OMG I just realized that nut-job sounds like a very dirty joke…sorry, kids, but I had to point that out.)

She put on her heels, which she hated with a passion, and began running.

That was, until she felt something wrap around her leg. She looked down and saw the vine of a piranha plant. It was covered in thorns, and her ankles had already begun to bleed as they pierced the skin under her white stockings. Before she knew it, she was hanging upside down, and the vines were around her arms, torso, and slowly making their way to her neck, and would probably strangle her.

"L-let go of me, you stupid, vile, ugly nuisance!" Kira said, trying to get her arms out of its grip in order to be able to use her magic on it.

It seemed to be aggravated by her insults and wrapped around her tighter, making her bleed all over.

"Tsk, tsk…" she heard a familiar voice tease. "Getting ourselves into trouble a bit early?"

She looked down and saw Mario.

"M-Mario…you'd better help me!" she sputtered.

"Say please." Mario taunted.

"P-Please…" she whined, as she began to lose so much blood that she was starting to feel weak.

"Now, if I let you go, how do I know that you won't try to get away again?" Mario asked. "Convince me, Kira."

"I-I…MARIO, IF YOU DON'T KILL THIS STUPID PIRANHA PLANT IN THREE SECONDS, I WILL-"

"You're not a morning person, are you?" Mario asked. He was amused at how much blood she was losing, and after all, she had deserved this. "I'll help you as soon as you promise me that you won't try anything funny again."

"O-okay…" she choked out, tears streaming down her face. "I…I promise I'll stay with you…"

"Until…?" Mario asked teasingly.

"Until we find the antidote…" Kira said, swallowing hard.

"Good girl." Mario chuckled quietly. He took a fire flower from his pocket, the only one he had, and obtained its power. He then threw a few fireballs at the plant, and it shriveled up, making Kira fall face-first to the ground. She lied there for awhile, unresponsive.

"I hate you." She muffled into the ground after awhile, her blood creating a small puddle under her.

"Mhm." He said, trying to pull her from the ground. She could hardly stand.

"M-M-Mario…" she stuttered, falling down a few times before regaining her balance. She leaned on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"I suppose you want me to carry you?" he asked aloud, although he knew she was unconscious.

"Unghh…" Kira moaned quietly. Mario sighed and picked her up. He kept walking, unsure of how much farther he could go. He knew he could use the exercise, but he was truly exhausted. He was in the middle of nowhere and he had no place to go. He had no map, no shelter, and what seemed like a 5-ton girl weighing him down. For someone who was only 5, 5", she was pretty heavy.

It was midday, and Mario was still just as determined as he was on the day he began his journey. He was THEE Mario, so he was totally unstoppable, right?

He sat on a rock with a sigh, setting Kira on the ground. He picked up a stick and weakly poked her.

"Wake up, Kira." He said quietly, his exhaustion clearly in his voice. "I can't carry you anymore…"

She slowly opened her bright, emerald-green eyes and sat up.

"D-Did you find it yet?" she asked groggily with a yawn.

"No." Mario sighed. "No luck yet."

"Mario…" she said. "It's hopeless. Now can we please turn around?"

"NO!" Mario snapped, smacking the back of Kira's head, standing up, and pulling her arm. "I'm NOT going to give up! This isn't the first time I've been lost in a forest- not even the second…I have to keep going."

She shakily stood up and moaned.

"But I…I'm so hungry…I'm going to lose my sanity!" She cried.

"Not before me." Mario said, violently tugging her arm. "The sooner we find the cure, the sooner we can leave this wretched place."

Although she still found it hard to walk, she finally obeyed, and let Mario lead the way.

"Mario, I don't think we're going the right way…" Kira pointed out after some time.

"Why so?" Mario questioned.

"Because we would have found it by now if we had the map." She said.

"Probably, but you know what?" Mario asked. "I'm not turning around until I've found the antidote, even if it takes a month."

"But Luigi would be dead by then." Kira sighed.

"I know, but it would help to know that I tried." He said, looking down and loosening his grip on Kira's arm just a bit.

"I see." Kira said. "You really love your little brother. I'm sorry, bro."

"It…it's fine." Mario sighed, although he knew it wasn't and he still hated Kira…kind of. He saw tears in her eyes and knew how bad she was starting to feel. She had just seemed so insensitive about it before.

"Well, considering the fact that I'm the Dark Princess, I shouldn't feel any sympathy for you, or at least that's what I was taught." Kira said, staring at the clouds, as if in some sort of trance. "But I guess…I can truly, honestly say…I'm sorry."

"Thanks." Mario said. He was unsure how to feel. "But your sympathy won't help."

Kira sighed, still struggling to keep her balance.

"I wonder what's going to happen when I get back to the Mushroom Kingdom…" She wondered, still gazing into the sky, which was beginning to break into dusk.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about that just yet, Princess." Mario said. "We still have a very long trip ahead of us…I just hope Luigi's okay…"

Finally, they were both calm, and not a single thing could have gone wrong. There was (somewhat) some peace between the two of them. By this point, it didn't look like Mario was pulling Kira against her will, but they seemed to be holding hands.

"I hate being lost." Kira complained. She had only been mentally lost before, but she was never stuck in the middle of nowhere. "It's tiring."

"Then let's take a break." Mario said. They sat down on the ground and looked up at the stars above them. They were on a hill, and it was rather steep. (Yes, a hill in the forest. UMAD, BRO?)

"Man, I would kill for some pizza right now…" Kira sighed. A few seconds later, she heard crunching. She looked at Mario.

"That sucks for you." Mario laughed, snacking on a fruit bar he had pulled from his pocket seconds ago.

"W-wait…" Kira said. "I've been almost three days without food, and you've had snacks all along?"

"Well, actually," Mario said. "This is my last one."

Kira growled.

"May I have it?" she asked, quite rudely.

"Hey, I get hungry too." Mario snickered.

"Could you quit being a fatty and share for once?" Kira asked.

"Nope." Mario said, gulping down the rest.

"I hate you." She mumbled, turning away. She had already lost a few pounds, and her wounds from that morning were still there, and very painful. She fell asleep there on the ground, and she honestly hadn't been feeling well.

The next morning was bright and sunny. Mario was up pretty early, and he let Kira sleep for awhile. It was the least he could do. She was such a wreck, and Mario didn't even know half of the things that went through that girl's head.

Poor, naïve Mario…

**I'm going to throw up.**

**That is all.**

**Wait…oh yeah, I'd like reviews, some fries, and a veggie burger…**


	5. Le fifth chapter

"Oh, is it morning already?" Kira yawned, rubbing her eyes. She stood up shakily and stretched. She could still only shamble, but she was sure that she would be fine.

"Yeah." Mario said. "You slept pretty long. Now, let's get going. We wouldn't want to waste time."

Kira nodded and they continued their journey. Kira was feeling pretty doubtful though, since about four days had passed. Luigi only had a few days left before…

"What if we already passed it?" Kira wondered. "Maybe it's in a vague place."

Mario facepalmed.

"That, my friend, is EXACTLY why we're going to search every inch of this forest." Mario sighed.

Kira looked down. She frowned upon hard work and dedication.

"Your perseverance…it scares me…" Kira said.

Just then, they heard an unfamiliar voice.

"Finally…" it said, taking a deep breath and a sigh of relief. "We've found it."

They moved passed a few bushes and found a large group of Bowser's enemies, mostly koopas and hammer brothers, and they were holding a bag that had some source of glowing light in it.

"Hey there." Mario said. "What are you guys up to?"

They all exchanged looks and then hid the bag behind them as if Mario hadn't already seen it.

"Why do you ask?" questioned the one holding it. "It's none of your business, MARIO."

"Listen…" Mario said, kneeling to their level. "You see, I'm looking for some magical essence thing. Do you guys happen to know anything about it?"

"Nope." One of them lied.

"Really?" Kira asked, looking them in the eyes. "Because you know, I can tell when a strong source of magic is present."

"That's nice." One of them said. "Now can you please leave us be? We need to deliver this to king Bowser ASAP!"

"For what?" Kira questioned.

"Becau- wait!" he exclaimed. "You're that new apprentice, aren't you? I am SO telling Bowser."

"WAITWAITWAIT!" Kira panicked. "Y-you wouldn't be so harsh as to do that, would you? I never did anything to you guys!"

"Leave us alone and we'll call it even." One said. "Bowser ordered us to find this in order to have eternal life. We got it fair-n'-square, so beat it!"

"But please…" Mario said. "My brother's dying and I really need it. Isn't there a way that we could split it or something?"

"Nope." Said the one holding it. "And even if there WAS, we still wouldn't share."

Mario rolled up his sleeve, ready to kill each one of them.

"I'll make this quick." He said, kicking one of them into another.

"Alright, guys." The leader said. "I didn't want to do this, but CHARGE!"

There were so many enemies that Kira and Mario were outnumbered.

"G-Get behind me, Kira!" Mario demanded as the group slowly closed in on them.

"M-Mario-"

"That's an order!"

Kira tried using some of her magic, but it simply wasn't enough. Using too much of her power tired her out, so she refrained from doing it.

At the blink of an eye, our heroes had been seemingly defeated, as they could hardly even battle on such short notice.

Kira stood up and let her rage take over her. This reminded her of her passion for murder, and she began bashing in some heads and rearranging some faces. She felt like Chuck Norris fighting those enemies like that, and nothing could stop her.

Finally, every enemy was dead. Kira smiled and took the bag. She opened and sure enough, what they had been looking for was right in there- pure magic. But she was just so weak…and she didn't feel very well. Kira was covered in blood, and most of it WAS hers. She fell to the ground in exhaustion and pain, her eyelids becoming heavy. She looked over to find that Mario had done the same.

Except, he wasn't really moving.

**ZOMG, will this be the end? Will Luigi ever be rescued? Will Mario and Kira die? Will I stop asking questions? I know what Kira's next major action will be…do you?**

** Tune in next week…same bat time, same bat channel (If you've ever watched classic Batman, you'd understand that).**

** Anyhow, no reviews, no continuation. That's life, bub.**


	6. Le sixth chapter

Kira lied there on the ground, trying to find the strength to stand, or at least sit up.

"M-Mario…" she moaned quietly. She received no response. Finally, although she struggled, she sat up, and this used a prodigious amount of her strength.

She knew what she had to do.

She knew Mario would hate her for it.

Kira took the bag that was beaming with the pure magic it held. She had gone so far…too far to lose the only friend she had left. She knew that she didn't really want to do this, but she had no other option.

She cautiously removed the magic orb from its bag and placed it on Mario. It was by far the strangest thing she ever had to do. Mario absorbed it, and obtained its energy. With a sigh, Kira rolled into a little ball on the ground, in the fetal position. She quietly closed her eyes, sure that they would never open again.

"W-what's going on?" Mario asked, quickly getting to his feet. He felt as energetic as a little kid, and he was very relieved about this. That was until he remembered everything.

Kira was lying there, and she didn't move a single muscle or speak a single word. Her body just moved with the pattern of her light breathing, and Mario had no idea what to do. He was still covered in blood, he still had some pretty bad aches and pains, but other than that, he was fine.

"I-I'm sorry…Mario…" Kira sighed shakily, followed by a cough.

That's when he realized what she had done in order to save his life. And thanks to that, his brother pretty much had no chance of survival.

He sat down and held his head, trying to absorb what was going on. He was going to lose his only brother, and he was lost in this forest, lost in this cruel world. He poked Kira a bit.

"Come on, we have to go…" he choked out, trying not to cry.

"M-Mario…Mario, am I going to die?" she asked, although her eyes remained closed.

"No…" Mario sighed, lifting the sickly young woman over his shoulders. He began to head back towards the Mushroom Kingdom. The legendary Mario had finally failed, and now all he wanted to do was see his little brother one last time, just before he died.

"I'm sorry, Mario…" she apologized, her face becoming pale. "You can kill me now; I-I don't deserve to live…"

"I'm not going to kill you." Mario huffed.

"It's so dark…where are we?"

"We're still in the forest…" Mario sighed, trying to support the weight of Kira as well as himself.

"It's cold…" Kira said quietly. "Are we almost at the Mushroom Kingdom?"

"No…actually, we're very far from it." Mario sighed."Just hang in there, okay?"

"I…I can't…I'm so…so tired."Kira said. "C-could you wake me up when we're there?"

"No, Kira, don't die on me…" Mario said. "You're going to be just fine."

If only he could promise that…

He continued walking, stumbling every now and then. He was sure that it was the end of his brother, and he wasn't even sure if the girl he was holding still had a pulse or not.

Finally, he had to take a break. He sat down on a log, which felt rather hollow, but it would do. He checked Kira's pulse.

It was still there…he was pretty sure that he felt something.

"Mommy…" Kira mumbled so low that it wasn't very audible. "It hurts…"

That's right…her parents had died.

"N-no, Kira!" Mario cried. "Stay with me, you are NOT going to die!"

"P-please…forgive me…" she sniffled quietly, her voice dry and weak.

Mario put his face into his hands. He just couldn't live with himself…but he had to…

For Luigi.

At this point, he didn't know what to think about Kira. She saved his life, but practically killed his only brother; the only family he had. It wasn't entirely her fault, it was only her job. But then again, she had just crushed Mario. Walked all over him.

Mario sighed, picked up the princess, and continued to walk. It was all hopeless now; Luigi was probably dead anyway.

…Right?

One part of Mario thought Kira was a thoughtful, generous, and valiant young woman, while the other part of him saw her as a vile, inconsiderate monster. She was a killing machine, but she also had some kindness in her. She was compassionate, yet she had the nerve to stab you in the back.

I guess you could say, this girl was _twisted_.

**Two chapters in one night? Oh mah!**

** Welp, authors need to sleep too.**

** It's so weird how I tend to remind everyone to review…**

** Anyway, I'm not going to tell you what's going to happen regarding Luigi, but I'll give you a hint…**

_**Luigi's my favorite character. Would you kill your favorite character? Well, I have before, but I guess you'll have to wait for the next chapter…or the one after…IDK…ciao.**_


	7. Le seventh chapter

**I had the weirdest fever dream…**

** I was on a plane but it would only take off in an area full of power lines, water, and flying cacti…**

** I stayed home today. I miss too much school…**

** ANYHOW…**

No food, no water, no sanity. That sums up how Mario was feeling. You know, besides all of the other thoughts on his mind.

Despite his misery, he continued to walk. Every now and then, Kira would hiccup or something, so he knew she was still there. Anyhow, a part of Mario didn't want to go back. If he did, everyone would know that the amazing Mario had finally been defeated.

But I guess he technically hadn't failed yet, right? There was a chance that Luigi was still alive.

Correct, but he was probably still in a coma. Mario mentally told himself that Luigi wasn't dead, and that he wasn't going to die. He never wanted to outlive his little brother, and 26 was a pretty young age to die. (A/N: Yes, Luigi's 26 because I say he is. Problem?)

Mario didn't even stop to sleep; he was afraid that Kira might die overnight, and more than anything, he didn't want to endure the deaths of two people.

But also, he was beginning to develop feelings for Kira.

No, not romantic feelings…

But it was more like a friendship. How could he be friends with her? She DID put his only brother's life in jeopardy. She had only come with him against her will…

But there was something about her that was different from any other princess. Whatever it was, it made her stand out. Peach had magic to some degree, so it wasn't that. But something about Kira made her so unique and likeable. Maybe it was her personality. She was a tomboy at heart, even more than Daisy. Maybe it was the way her green eyes seemed to sparkle when she smiled, or the fact that she wasn't your average skinny, naïve Nintendo princess. She wasn't beautiful like peach, she was plain and simple. She wasn't a pushover, she was stubborn. She was different, and no one likes a copycat- especially Mario.

A day and a half had passed, and Mario felt lonely with no one to talk to. Kira was still alive, but she wasn't responsive for the most part. Every few hours, she might mumble something, but other than that, she was just a brick. Mario was almost back to the Mushroom Kingdom; he only had a few more miles left to go.

Then it began to rain again. Mario hated the rain, and in the forest, it rained way too often.

It was dusk, and Mario just hoped that Luigi was still breathing. His arms were sore from holding Kira for so long, but he wasn't feeling too bad. I mean, when else did he get the chance to hold a princess like that?

Finally, Mario was back at the Mushroom Kingdom, and he was in a hurry to get to the hospital. He quickly got Kira admitted to a room, and went to see his brother.

Sure enough, he was still alive. Mario sighed with relief, although he could hardly recognize Luigi at this point. He was pale, and he seemed lifeless. Mario turned to the doctor, tears in his eyes.

"What's the prognosis?" Mario choked out.

"He has about 72 hours left. He's in critical condition, and if he survives, it will truly be a miracle." The doctor said. "I'm sorry, Mario."

"How's the princess?" he asked. "Will she be alright?"

"Well, she's definitely doing better than Luigi." The doctor said. "I'm afraid that's about all I can tell you."

Mario sighed. His life had fallen apart in less than a week. He felt that he had no one to blame but himself, but it really wasn't his fault.

He sat in that room for hours, awaiting the miracle that would save his brother. He prayed and prayed for a spark of good luck, but absolutely nothing had happened.

After a few hours, the doctor came back in.

"How's Kira?" Mario asked, desperate to know her fate. "Is she alright?"

"Well, that's why I came in here. You see, Kira's gone-"

"Y-you mean she's dead?" Mario asked, his heart seeming to stop.

"Well, not…not exactly. By gone, I mean, she's missing." He said. "I-I have no idea what happened to her. One moment she was there, I left for a bit, and now there's no trace of her."

Mario's mind turned to one individual.

Bowser.

**Well, I don't want to spoil what's going to happen, and I only know half of it…**

** But MAYBE Bowser has something to do with it.**

** I'm on some medication that makes me talk and make weird noises in my sleep. I don't like it because I keep waking up to my mom laughing at me…-facepalm.**

** I mean, that's not even a side-effect listed on the container! SMH…**

**Anyhow, the review button likes to be clicked. Obvious button is obvious. **


	8. Le eighth chapter

Mario couldn't think of any obvious motive Bowser would have to take Kira back, but he was sure that it was him. Where else could she have gone?

"Doctor, call me if anything happens to Luigi. I'll be back." Mario sighed, leaving the room. The doctor nodded in agreement.

Mario stomped over to Bowser's castle. He wasn't in the mood for any games. (I just realized that's a pun…because it's a video game…never mind.)

He definitely didn't have time to walk through Bowser's obstacles, so he pounded on the black, steel doors of the castle.

"M-Mario…" Bowser gasped, answering the door. "Why in the world are you still alive?"

"I don't have time for your games, Bowser!" Mario exclaimed. "Where's Kira?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Bowser shouted. "NOW LEAVE MY SIGHT!"

"I'm serious, Bowser, I'm not in the mood!"

"Really, Mario, I don't know where she is." Bowser sighed. "But I honestly don't care anymore, she wasn't making much progress anyway. I hope she's dead."

"Wait…so if you didn't kidnap her…where is she?" Mario questioned.

"I swear, I don't know." Bowser said. "Now could you get away from my castle before I call my guards?"

Mario sighed and left the castle as Bowser slammed the door. Where could that obnoxious princess be? Even more important, why was HE out looking for her?

Was it because he liked her?

He shook his head. He hated her, and she was kind of young for him.

Well, six years wasn't a massive difference, right?

Anyhow, Mario decided to keep looking. For all he knew, she could have gone back into that repulsive forest…

His first instinct was to check the house.

Just as he was about to go inside, he discovered a note on the door. It was in writing that was shaky, yet neat.

_Heya Mario,_

_Just wanted to let you know that I won't be showing my face again in this kingdom. Actually, I might not even show my face again in this world. I know you hate me for what I did, so I'm really sorry. My life truly has no meaning; I have no family, no friends, and no one to talk to so there. Don't bother looking for me- not that I expect you to, but really, don't. Perhaps, one day, our paths shall cross again, but I doubt it. Anyhow, I could be dead right now, but who knows? Better yet, who cares? I told myself that I wasn't going to get out of hand and write a two paged letter about how much I hate myself and how sorry I am, so I'm just going to cut to the chase._

_I'm leaving, and I'm not sure where. Maybe to "the promised land", if such a place exists. I hope you can forgive me, but I understand if you don't. Someone who kills as much as I do deserves to die. You know, a slow, gory, and excruciatingly painful death. Sound familiar? Anyway, I hope that for the rest of your life, you find better luck in this cruel world than I did._

_-Kira_

What in the world?

Mario was so confused. Was this a suicide note, or was she just leaving town?

No matter. All he knew was that he had to stop her before she did something crazy.

**The end.**

**JK, I'm working on chapter 9. YOU JUST HAVE TO WAIT. I don't even know what's going to happen. Any ideas? (SOBS) PLEASE?**


	9. Le ninth chapter

Several hours had passed, and Mario had nearly run out of places to search. He wouldn't admit it, but he was kind of lost.

He was sure that all hope was lost. That was, until he read the sign next to him.

_Welcome to the Magnolia Kingdom!_

_ Population: 6,500 and counting._

_ If you're looking for hospitality, we suggest you go elsewhere._

Maybe she was here?

This was her kingdom, but she had been overthrown, so there wouldn't be much of a reason to come back. He decided to search the area anyway. It was a horrible Kingdom; you could see fire in the distance, some woman screaming "MY BABY!" and thieves. He knew this was a dark kingdom, but that was just pretty sad. This was a kingdom without a legitimate leader.

He walked so much that his legs began to tire out, and this wasn't common for Mario.

It was just so hopeless…

Then, he reached the outskirts of the kingdom. The area looked somewhat like Dimble Wood. But at night, it was rather spooky and dark.

Just when he was going to turn around, he saw the silhouette of someone. They weren't standing, just lying on the grass and gazing at the stars. He looked closer and discovered that it was Kira. She was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt that was obviously too big for her.

"M-Mario…" she said, turning to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you." Mario panted, sitting next to her. "You're a real pain in the butt."

"Sorry." Kira apologized. "But why did you come looking for me? I told you I wasn't coming back."

"Well…"

"There must be a reason that someone as noble and pure as the great Mario would accompany such an evil, heartless person such as myself." Kira said, gazing into the night sky. "But I guess I'm not that heartless."

"No," Mario mumbled. "You're not."

Kira yawned.

"But I just feel so…out of place." She sighed. "One moment, I'm a killing machine, and then all of a sudden, I'm committing a random act of kindness."

"Well, you're pretty impulsive." Mario said. "But that's just the way you are."

"But I don't want to be that way." Kira complained. "My anger…or impulses always get to me."

Mario sighed.

"There's always tomorrow." He said.

"I wish that wasn't true." Kira moaned. "It seems that each and every day my past haunts me."

"But that's all behind you." Mario said. He stood up and tugged on Kira's arm. "Let's go back to the Mushroom Kingdom. I need to get back to the hospital."

"Y-you mean…you don't know already?" Kira asked, turning away a bit.

"I don't know what?"

"A-about Luigi. I thought you knew already…" Kira said, looking around.

"W-what about him?" Mario stuttered.

"Well I kind of-"

Before she could finish that sentence, she was tackled down and pummeled by…

Luigi?

**HURR.**

** Review or I shall not continue. Hmm, the chapters are getting rather short…**

** Mmm…Smells like a cliffhanger. Yum.**


	10. Le tenth chapter

Mario pried Luigi off of Kira and hugged him as if he hadn't seen him in ages. He had tears in his eyes.

"L-Luigi, h-how did you-"

"Allow me to explain." Kira sighed, standing and wiping her bloody nose. "I was going to tell you, but I was sure that you would find out on your own. Anyhow, I was just leaving the hospital, but then I realized that I couldn't just leave your brother for dead, so I had to risk my life to save his. But I'm fine now."

"How exactly did you do that?" Mario asked curiously.

"You see," Kira said. "As I said, I left the hospital, but when I realized how bad I felt, I came back. You were gone, so I told the doctor to text you. I tried to revive your brother, but I was sure I had failed because he didn't wake up right away. Then I ran to the house, left a note, and came here."

"That still doesn't explain how you actually revived him." Mario commented.

"Well," Kira said, taking a deep breath. "I had to give up my dark powers to revive him. It was risky, but I would have felt like a jerk had I not done that. Indeed, it could have killed me to give away natural powers, but I did it anyway."

"If that's so…," Luigi added. "Why don't I have dark powers?"

"Your mind is too feeble to understand." Kira sighed. Luigi seemed a bit offended. "When magic is in its pure form, it is only magic, and nothing more. Even though my magic is dark, it's free of impurities."

"W-wait…" Mario said. "YOU saved his life WILLINGLY?"

"Did I not make that crystal clear?" Kira questioned with an irritated sigh, rubbing her face from the excruciating pain that Luigi had brought her only moments ago.

"No, no, no." Luigi said. "This makes no sense. You tried to KILL me, and then you saved me? What kind of sick person does that?"

"I would." Kira sighed, looking at the ground. "I'm so messed up…"

"That's an understatement." Luigi said. "…But why, exactly did you do that?"

"Because I…" Kira looked away. "N-never mind the reason, all that matters is that you're okay."

"And since when do you care about me?" Luigi questioned agitatedly.

"Look, people change." Kira said. "Maybe I just decided to be nice for once…"

"But you must have had a motive." Luigi taunted. "Is it because I'm sexy?"

"WHAT? NO!" Kira exclaimed, slapping the back of his head.

"Guys, it's getting late." Mario said, changing the subject. "Can we head back to the Mushroom Kingdom now?"

"Why?" Kira asked, sitting back down. "So that I could be miserable again?"

"No, so that I can finally get some sleep." Mario said. "And I can't just leave you here."

"But I told you already, I can't go back." Kira sighed. "I'll be fine. Ciao, guys."

"Oh, no you don't!" Mario exclaimed, tugging on her arm. "I carried you for two straight days, and this is the thanks I get?"

"Mario, I saved your sorry butt so we're even." Kira said, not budging. "I'll be fine, dude, don't worry about me."

"Look, Princess, I know you're bound to get into some kind of trouble, just like EVERY other princess I know." Mario sighed, folding his arms. "You don't even have anywhere to stay!"

"Of course I do, silly!" She giggled, lying on the grass. "I've lived without a roof over my head before."

"Then how will you brush your teeth or shower?" Mario questioned.

"Well…"

"Hmm, then you'll get gingivitis. And THEN you'll lose your teeth. And THEN you'll starve. And THEN you'll die." Mario said.

"Mario, that's pretty dramatic." Kira scoffed. "Really, I won't-"

"But there are robbers and magikoopas, Goombas and koopas of all sorts. Not to mention how you were nearly killed by that piranha plant!" Mario exclaimed firmly. "I've known you for about a week, and what I can make out is that you're just an average, accident-prone princess!"

"Th-that's not true at all!" Kira sputtered. "I'm self-sufficient! I can defend myself perfectly well!"

"And that explains why I had to carry you for a few hundred miles, right?" Mario questioned.

"Hey, I had just woken up, and I was already injured by that piranha plant!" Kira protested.

"Yes, and you just supported my statement." Mario said, the slightest smirk on his face.

"Mario, I'm not going! Please stop insisting!" Kira whined.

Mario sniffled and fell to his knees.

"Please…" He said, tears in his eyes. "You don't know how many times I've almost lost some of my friends…and Luigi."

"Dude, I-"

"No, I don't wanna hear it!" Mario shouted with a sob. "I'm starting to see through the wicked demon you can be sometimes."

"Mario…that's er…poignant, but I'm not leaving this spot, and that's final!" Kira huffed.

"Kira, you don't understand!" he cried with yet, another sob. "If I leave you here, _anything_ could happen to you, and I'm really beginning to like you!"

"R-really?"

"Yes…" Mario said before crying hysterically.

Kira didn't know what to say, and Luigi just stood there, an apathetic expression on his face.

"O-okay!" Kira gave in, beginning to tear up a little herself. She stood up and grabbed Mario's arm. "Fine, I'll go! Just, please stop crying!"

Mario stood up and they began heading back to the Mushroom Kingdom.

"It works every time." He snickered under his breath. Luigi nodded knowingly.

**Bahah, I believe there's only one chapter left. **

** Thanks for the reviews, guys :D**


	11. Yo!

Hey, I'm considering remaking this story. Answer my poll so I know what to change. Thanksies.


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